The New Year is always a time to reflect on things you didn’t change in the old year and things you’d like to change in the new. But also falling right after Christmas, it’s also provides opportunities to purchase new clothes with the post-Christmas slashed pricing. Of course, this can mean finding out that your 30 waist has now expanded to a 34 or even worse a 35. All the kind words from friends, that the pants are constructed differently can’t keep that nagging phrase out of your mind…”you’re gaining weight!”
Now is the time, before the New Year’s Eve ball drops to make a plan so that you can get that waist back before your next shopping venture. Here are some quick eating tips and exercise ideas to keep the fat burned off and your love handles to a minimum.
Eating -- Focus on boosting your metabolism. Best method is to eat 5-7 small meals a day. This will keep the body burning calories throughout the day. Those big meals just sit and digest slowly, not utilizing the BURN engine of your body. Also, cut your calorie intake to about 10 to 12% of your total body weight. If you are 175 lbs, try to eat around 1,750 calories each day.
Foods – So, now you’re eating or grazing 5 to 7 times a day. What do you eat to stay lean, mean, and a calorie burning machine? There are some great no-calorie and fiber-rich vegetables like celery, broccoli, carrots, and cucumbers. Pistachios are low in calories and fat. For some sweetness, try about 8 grams of raspberries for a snack that is less than 100 calories. For protein bursts, eat chickpeas, salmon, and even small portions of Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is packed with protein and low in fat.
Drink – Remember to keep your system hydrated. If you can do it, drink water morning, noon, and night. Avoid all other types of drinks, even diet soft drinks. The water will keep your body engine purring and more importantly burning.
Exercise – This is the other key element to trimming down. Again the focus has to be on keeping your body’s internal furnace burning the calories and fat. Besides the typical gym routine, shake it up and do a variety of exercises. Be sure to have those weight training routines, but add some additional elements to stoke the internal fire. Use your body’s weight to help with the burn and to add some additional cardio to the routine. Pull-ups, push-ups, lunges, and other movements of your body will keep the fat flames hot. Add in some cardio bursts between different sets of weight lifting. Do a set, jump rope, do another set, run a couple of miles on the treadmill. Varied, fast, and focused.
Try these tips and others that make sense for your body type, health profile, and dietary needs. Good luck with the efforts and all the best in the New Year!
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